Update, 11:00pm:
The Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education adopted a $74,020,753 budget for the next school year that keeps spending flat compared to 2010-11 and yields a 1.78% tax levy increase. The district will ask for a tax levy increase of 1.78% and the spending plan calls for cutting nearly 15 positions.
According to a district news release, administrators reduced the tax levy increase - or the amount of revenue raised through property taxes - through a number of cost-saving measures that included decreasing spending by $2.6 million and applying $1.7 million of the district's undesignated fund balance and $915,226 from the district's Federal Jobs funds.
Included in the $2.6 million spending reduction is the elimination of 14.5 staff positions (6.5 teacher aides/assistants, five teachers, two custodians, and one business office staff person) and reducing an after-school bus run from five days a week to four.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for May 9, and district residents vote on the budget May 17.
Earlier Coverage:
The future of German language classes in the Fayetteville-Manlius Schools will be before the F-M School Board tonight.
A group of parents is upset that the district plans to drop the middle school classes next year, because it says there was not enough student interest. Right now two middle schools, Wellwood and Eagle Hill, offer the classes.
Parent Thalia Vizgaitis says the district does not have budget issues with the classes and no teachers' jobs are at stake this year. The parents' group is concerned at the tight restrictions on who can take the classes: Parent Alice Massa says eigth grade students have to be in the 'first strand'---a straight A average.
The parents say the German classes have a direct economic impact in the area: Marquardt Switches, in Cazenovia, has written a letter asking that the German program be kept. Several of the company's German workers live in F-M to get their children into the classes, and Lou Lou Delmarsh says that, in addition, Americans who go to the companies German offices can have their children started in language skills. Delmarsh says there are 12 German-based companies in Central New York, including Bitzer Scroll, which has brought several hundred new jobs to the Salina area.
The plans to cut German come at the same time that the program is being recognized for excellence: Kate Stewart, one of the teachers, has just been recognized as the states outstanding language teacher. And, the parents worry about the disconnect between the school district talking about 'global learning' and cutting back. Julia Graciano, another parent, says her family moved to F-M for the diversity of courses offered, and she worries that the cuts will hurt the district as a whole.
The parents did receive letters from the superintendent after last month's board meeting, explaining the cuts. There was a meeting this afternoon with board members, curriculum administrators and the superintendent to lay out parental concerns.
Parents plan a larger appeal at tonight's F-M School Board meeting.
